Lockdown
by ihiuhjklhlkjhkljh
Summary: A high security building is under lockdown. Fortunately all employees were evacuated, well, except for Kagome. However, she soon finds that she isn't alone. How will they cooperate and survive until the security system can be cracked?
1. Chapter 1

**Project Right:**

We start out the story with an idea or an incident that would be pre-decided between the authors before any writing begins, just so everyone is starting on the same page.

Each author takes turns. One author writes the first chapter, then the following author continues with the second chapter as they see fit _(within reason of course)_ and with consideration of the previous chapter. The responsibility for each chapter will rotate in a pre-decided order until the story is complete. _enjoy_

"**Lockdown"**

Chapter One

_Chapter By Artemis Girl_

_Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters._

* * *

The wailing and red-flashing lights were really starting to freak Kagome out, but Kagome sighed while typing away at her computer, still fiddling with the design on the latest idea for an ionizer. 

There were _always _drills and alarms going off during work and they _never_ failed to be distracting in the worst way. Then again, she supposed, when you worked at the CSS, such alarms were a given.

The wailing increased a notch and Kagome annoyingly bit her lip. The Central Security Service headquarters, a covert branch of the informational branch of the SDF, was a highly secret governmental building, so really, constant alarms were to be expected, she supposed, as bomb threat drills, contamination protocol and prisoner escape plans were constantly practiced, all designated by the color of a flashing light and the pitch of a siren's whine. But, just one week into her job, Kagome had fast learned that if you paid attention to all the drills, you'd never get any work done.

It's best just to pay attention to the important ones really.

Kagome adjusted the electrical input of the ionizer before saving her file and moving on to finish the EM control, biting her lip all the while. Now, was it the red light with a high-pitched whine or the orange one with the low wail that symbolized a fire drill?

Kagome sighed, shoving the thought out of her head. Really, it didn't matter _what_ it was at this point. But _really_, how did her superiors expect her to finish all her work with all this noise going on? It was inhumane.

Then again, her superiors probably didn't give a damn about the humanity of it all. After all, the CSS had been created to develop technology to control the flow of information to the public and from enemies, create ways to subdue crowds of people in mass panic and make techniques to break serial killers and terrorist to extract their information from them, all through various methods of dubious legality and ethics.

Morality and being humane probably wasn't too much of a concern to them.

Kagome fiddled with the EM controller, reflecting. The CSS had caught sight of her while she was studying at university, working on a major in Technology Development and Kagome was grateful she hadn't gone into Chemistry, as she had first wanted to. Here, her job was to help develop technology to help the SDF, like with lie detectors and such, which wasn't so bad, but the people who worked in Chemistry...

Kagome shuddered. Her friend, Sango, worked in the Chemistry department. Though all of the workers projects were all completely confidential, Kagome knew that along with the acid lock dissolvers Sango worked to develop, there were also the chemical agents meant to subdue crowds or relax prisoners.

All are theoretically harmless, of course, but Kagome much preferred her desk and computer rather than fiddling with the volatile elements Sango dealt with day after day.

Kagome paused, ceasing her typing for a moment. The siren had stopped, but the lights kept flashing. That was odd.

Getting up from her chair, Kagome figured she'd better check with someone to see what was going on. Though she was supposed to have memorized the emergency plan of action booklet all workers were given, Kagome couldn't remember, let alone differentiate, half of the 37 alarms. Someone else was bound to know.

Opening the door, Kagome stuck her head out into the hall and was mildly surprised to find no one there. Usually, there were at least a few stragglers among those who just ignored the alarms, but this time, there were none.

Kagome shrugged, walking down the hallway towards the doors to find someone. Someone would be willing to tell her what was going on or at least, if she could _find_ anyone. The halls were deserted, as far as she could tell.

Without warning, the lights went out, just as her cell phone went off.

Huffing in indignation, Kagome stopped and put down her bag and rummaged through her purse. _Honestly, _why had the power gone out _now?_ She hadn't thought to save her work on the ionizer and now it was lost. _Dam it._ Was a stupid _power outage_ what this stupid alarm was about?

Digging out her phone and flipping it open, Kagome put it to her ear.

"Yeah?"

"Kagome!"

Kagome sighed with relief, recognizing the voice of her co-worker and close friend. "Hey Sango? What's up?"

"What do you mean, what's up? This is insane!" the voice on the other side yelled.

"Where are you, anyway, Kagome? I can't find you in this crowd. This is ridiculous!"

"I'm still inside." Kagome said, making her way to the door again. "Why? What drill is it this time? What's that whine and the red flashing light mean, anyway?"

"You're still _inside?_ Oh man, Kagome, there's some serious stuff going on.

"You'd better get outside _now_."

"I'm working on it." Kagome snapped, slightly testy, "I was doing fine until they shut off the power and my phone started ringing, you know..."

"They shut off the power all ready? _Shit. _Kagome, this is bad."

"No kidding Sango." Kagome said, getting to the door and reaching out to grab the handle, "Stupid alarms are going off on the day when I have _way _too much to get done, the power's shutting off whenever I forget to save my progress and now I have a pissy friend on my back just because I'm not out the door when I'm doing my best..."

"_No_, Kagome. That's not what I meant."

"Then what _do_ you mean?" Kagome demanded, jiggling the door handle, which appeared to be stuck, "Surely it can't be _that_ bad."

"Kagome, it's a lockdown. That's what the red flashing light and siren mean."

Kagome froze. "A- a lockdown?"

"Yeah. And if the power's gone off already..." Kagome swallowed hard.

"...that means you're stuck in there until it's over." Her face stark, Kagome looked down at the electronic doorknob that sat in her hand, all her efforts to turn it fruitless.

"_Shit._"

"Kagome? Kagome! Don't panic!"

"I'm _not_ panicking!" Kagome yelled back, running back and forth down the halls. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Kagome called out while holding the cell phone to the side, "Hello?"

"God _damn_ it Kagome, get a grip! There's no one there except for you!"

Sango yelled from across the line, "It's a lockdown! Everyone else had the good sense to get out of the building before they shut it down!"

Kagome was freaked. After realizing that the front doors were _not_ about to open, no matter how hard she kicked, punched and screamed at them. Kagome had gone off to find another exit and see if anyone else was trapped inside as well who might be able to help.

"Why'd they lock it down, anyway?" Kagome asked, scheming along the walls, glancing into each and every office in desperate hopes to find someone else around.

"Something about a terrorist attack, I think but I'm not sure. The Board has only given us preliminary reasons so far. I think someone's trying to get into it."

"What! Sango, what am I going to do?" Kagome groaned, worrying at her lip as she dashed along, "I don't want to be in here to fight off terrorists! I want to go home!"

"Well, serves you right for not learning your emergency protocol like a good little worker."

"Sango!" Kagome moaned, doing her best to open an emergency exit, to no avail.

"Chill out, Kagome. Your situation's not all _that_ bad. All you have to do is find a way to get out of the building before anyone gets there, okay? You're a smart girl, Kagome. You'll think of something."

Kagome raised her eyebrows incredulously as she looked around for some other way to get out. Not that bad? Had Sango lost it?

"Sango!" Kagome wailed into the phone, desperate. "All the doors are locked and you know the windows are like super-reinforced! There's no way I can get out of here!"

"Come on, Kagome! Here, how about you-"

"Wait." Kagome froze, listening carefully to the empty hallway.

"What? What is it?"

Kagome turned very slowly to look at the far door, leading to another hallway. She peered at the window in the door, "I think I heard someone." Kagome said quietly, just under her breath.

"You heard someone? Oh come on, Kagome, you're delusional. No one's left in the building, everyone left."

"Then maybe it's the terrorists." Kagome said quietly, creeping along the edge of the hallway toward the source of the noise and looking into the doorway's window, "I see a shadow. Someone's there."

"_The terrorists?_ God, Kagome, no one's the-"

"I'm going to have to call you back Sango." Kagome whispered. "Talk to you later."

Quickly shutting off the phone before Sango could voice any loud objections, Kagome tucked her phone away, her head jerking up when she heard a loud clatter coming from beyond the doors in the hallway. _Could_ it be terrorists? It had to be _someone,_ didn't it? Shadows didn't just walk around buildings, making noises!

"Oh no..." Kagome hid behind a corner, keeping her eyes out. Call her paranoid, but she was better safe than sorry! At a soft noise, she paused again, listening, her ears straining.

Footsteps. She could hear them. They were coming closer.

"I can hear you! I know you're there!" Kagome called out, her eyes wide, "I'm not scared!"

The footsteps halted for a moment, before continuing on. Looking around desperately for a weapon, Kagome picked up a short hat stand from someone's office and gripped it tightly, holding it like a bat. If she was going to die at the hands of terrorists, she'd go down fighting!

"Don't come any closer!" Kagome yelled out. "I'm armed!"

The footsteps kept coming and Kagome twisted her hands around the makeshift bat in a panic.

"I'll swing, I swear it!" she called out, hysterical. "I swear, if you take one more step..."

The door opened.

"Ahhhhh!" Kagome screamed and ran towards the figure in a blind panic, before stopping short at the sight of him.

It was a tall man with long white hair, dressed smartly in a dress shirt and pants, his CSS ID card pinned smartly to his breast. He held up his hands in surrender which were holding a tiny package from a vending machine in one and an eyebrow arched ironically.

"Well, this is interesting." he remarked, his amber eyes flickering over the poised hat stand. He looked at her cautiously, his expression clearly indicating that he doubted her sanity and he slowly held out his hand, offering her the package in it. "Cookie?"

The hat stand clattered to the floor and Kagome looked up at him timidly.

"Um... sorry?"

* * *

"So, I'm Kagome. I was working when the alarm went off and I ignored it. Rather silly, actually." 

Kagome reached over to take another cookie from the strange man, munching on it happily as they sat against the wall. The man had offered a truce and since they didn't really have anything else to be doing, they had started talking.

Well, Kagome had. The stranger didn't really seem all that talkative.

"So then I missed my chance to get out. I never did learn all the alarms and what they all meant, so I didn't know I should be concerned until it was too late."

The man raised an eyebrow. "You ignored the alarm?"

"Well, yeah…" Kagome said honestly, chewing. "They've never been important before and my superior wanted the ionizer done before the end of work today, so-"

"I'm sure your superior would have understood." he interrupted, fixing her with a look.

"I _know _that. I'm smart enough to realize I made a stupid choice. You don't have to rub it in." Kagome informed him.

The man raised his eyebrow again and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"You're here too, aren't you? Now I'm not the only one who did something stupid to miss getting out, so you might as well get off your high horse and relax. How'd you get stuck in here, anyway?" she asked, reaching for another cookie.

"I was in a self-hypnotic trance when the alarm went off and when I returned to full consciousness I was too late to leave."

"No kidding?" Kagome asked thickly, around a mouthful of cookie, as she looked at the man widely. "Self-hypnotism? really? I didn't know they did that kind of stuff here."

"On occasion."

Kagome glanced over at his nametag for a moment, before snitching another cookie. "Sesshoumaru…hmm? I think I've heard of you. Don't you work in the Black Tech department or something?"

"Black science." the man called Sesshoumaru corrected, taking a cookie for himself. "You mean the Black Science department."

"Yeah, that's it. Black Science. My friend told me about that once, though she didn't really know all that much about it, only that it existed. No one really knows what you guys do back there. Like, everyone knows what the Psychotropic section does." Kagome said, rambling slightly as she toyed with half a cookie, "That's where I work, you know. We make stuff like EM controllers and ionizers and whatnot; you know... stuff to affect people's moods through mimicking the electro-magnetic field of brainwaves, or by flooding a room with negative or positive ions. But it's not very secretive at all."

"Are you always this talkative, or is this some special trait that only comes out when you're with someone that's completely disinterested in what you have to say?" Sesshoumaru asked her, arching that eyebrow once again.

Kagome shot him a glare. "All right then, mister. _You_ tell me something, then. What _do _you _do _in the Black Science department, anyway?"

"We develop methods to extract information from enemies."

Kagome snorted. "Yeah, right. That's what the official statement is as well. What do you guys _really _do? You don't have to be diplomatic about it. I can handle it."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "We use a combination of brainwashing, neuro-linguistic programming, hypnotism, shadow language and illegal psychology on prisoners to control them, wipe away their identity and make them tell us what we want to know."

Kagome's hand stopped midway to its next cookie and she looked up at Sesshoumaru slowly.

"Oh, come now…" he said pleasantly, both his eyebrows inclined, his tone ironic. "Weren't you just saying you could handle the truth of what the Black Science department did? I thought you actually _could. _My mistake."

"_You brainwash people?_" Kagome asked, horrified. "You mess up their minds? Just wipe away their free will?"

"Actually, we only wipe their identity away." he said conversationally, relaxing against the wall. "That way, we don't _have_ to break their free will. They just obey us mindlessly, so it doesn't matter."

"I have _got _to get out of here." Kagome moaned, clutching her head. "I'm stuck with Sesshoumaru the sociopath, terrorists are coming and there's no way out."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "That's hardly polite, you know. If I were you, I wouldn't call your only aid in escaping this damn place a sociopath. Especially when if he _is_ a sociopath, he would have no qualms over killing you just to shut you up."

Kagome turned to look at him, wide-eyed and Sesshoumaru smirked.

"I was _kidding_." he said flatly, getting to his feet. He looked down at her and extended a hand. "Now, are we going to find a way to get out of here or what?"

Kagome looked up at his hand suspiciously, could she trust this man to help her get out of this place or not? He might seem genuine enough, however his occupation gave her more than enough reason to doubt him.

Sighing to herself, Kagome reached out and took his hand, as he tugged her to her feet. What else could she do?

"Let's make this quick." Kagome said shortly. "I have a date at seven-thirty and I have no intentions of staying in here to miss it until someone comes to get us out."

"Of course."

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly as Kagome stomped off down the hall in a irate huff. She would get out of this stupid place, help or no help from her arrogant companion.

She'd make sure of it.

* * *

_Read and Review_

_Next: Chapter Two-By PurityFlower_


	2. Chapter 2

"**Lockdown"**

Chapter Two

_Chapter by Purity Flower_

_Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters._

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Soon her irate huffing morphed into hopeless sighs as minutes quickly turned into an hour, an hour turned into three and alas, there was still no progress. With her silvered haired companion, to Kagome's frustration, calmly trailing her footsteps as they passed though corridor to corridor.

How could he be so clam? Were there not terrorists to worry about? If he did not value his safety he could at least show some courtesy for other's, but Kagome soon learned that this arrogant being of a man showed very little compassion and how he loved to taunt her until she snapped, as if she was his sick source of amusement.

"This is getting to be redundant! Office after office after office after office!" Kagome exasperated as they passed, yet another empty office.

"Oh look there." Sesshoumaru said with mild concern

"What?" Kagome joyfully yelled, maybe he found an exit! They could be free! They could be…

"More office." He flatly responded, quickly squashing her hope of him finding something of use.

Kagome pursed her lips together to form a feminine scowl while walking further down the perpetual hallway and then finally reprimanded, "You know…you really aren't helping at all! I try to be friendly, but you complain I talk too much! I try to look for a way out, but you get my hopes up! You need to start pulling your weight mister!"

"Oh really?" Sesshoumaru asked in an amused fashion as he raised his eyebrow. He then looked more closely at his surroundings and asked, "Do you have any idea as to where you have been leading us for the past three hours?"

"…" Kagome stilled, she forgot to keep track. With some much on her mind, so much to worry about she completely forgot where she was going. She didn't even know the alarms yet, never mind the layout of the overly expansive building. Heck, she even got lost coming back from the bathroom and that was just yesterday, "…no."

"Well I have." He smirked while arrogantly telling her. "Now, I suggest that we stop this futile roaming, head back to where we came from and resume searching after some rest."

"Why the sudden urge to go back?" Kagome questioned as her tiny foot tapped the polished floor and leaned against a tiny plaque that rested on the wall

"It's getting late and obviously the direction you have so skillfully chosen for us to wander like idiots in is obviously turning up fruitless." Sesshoumaru flatly answered

She narrowed her and after several moments replied defeated, "We will take a short break. Lead the way Yoda…You apparently think you know everything…" Kagome turned her heels and headed back, slightly jogging to keep up with Sesshoumaru's, now, long and quick strides.

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"I'm getting cold." Kagome rhetorically said as she ate her last bite of her candy bar that she found in someone's abandoned handbag, with the power off and the backup generator keeping the building dimly lit, it was beginning to become colder with the loss of the heating system, "What time is it anyway?"

"Around six o'clock." Sesshoumaru said after he glanced at his shiny watch, "I don't think you'll be going on that date of yours."

"…Too bad, I kind of liked the guy too." Kagome said with rummaging though the room. She was trying to find something to give her warmth, anything a coat, a sweatshirt, scarf, a hand towel…at this point she wasn't picky.

"So anyway, tell me more about this Black Science thingamajig." Kagome asked with her back turned to Sesshoumaru, while closing a drawer "Do you really brainwash people or was that just another one of your witty remarks to try to scare me?"

"Ah ha!" Kagome smiled as she picked up a discarded sweatshirt she found in a closet. She carefully brought it to her nose, "Smells clean and I'm desperate. Oh! But I bet the Great Sesshoumaru has to comment on this…maybe 'you'll get ticks or fleas' or 'that might have lice' or 'the person whom that belongs to might have a rash of some kind' or…or…Sesshoumaru?"

She quickly turned around, but Sesshoumaru wasn't there.

"Sesshou-Maru?" Kagome called out is a loud whisper and poked her head out of the lonely office door, "Sesshoumaru!"

A distant thump, thump, thump was all that could be heard and the fact that the lights would flicker didn't help to ease Kagome's fast growing fears. She retreated back into the safety of the office…why would he just up and leave? Could she really trust him? Oh God! Was he the terrorist?

She then turned her head to once again look into the hall and…

"AHH!" Kagome screamed as her eyes locked onto a chiseled chest and then slightly calmed as her eyes met with his face, "Sesshoumaru! You scared the hell out of me! Where did you go?"

"…the restroom." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world

"Oh."

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"I got an extra bottle of water from the machine." Sesshoumaru said as he walked back into the office and sat down on the floor near Kagome

"Time?" Kagome asked

"Eleven o'clock, I suggest you get some rest." Sesshoumaru suggested, "If nothing else it will pas away some time instead of you just staring blankly at the wall."

Kagome slowly turned her head to the side and gave him a look that clearly read:_ you aren't helping the situation_ and spun her head back so that she once again, gazed at the barren wall, "Anyway what's with this lockdown shenanigan?"

"…We're stuck in a building…" Sesshoumaru slowly replied as he rested his eyes.

"Thank you and to think I survived all my life without you, Captain Obvious." Kagome sarcastically told him, "I mean, why is there a lockdown?"

"Breech in security." Sesshoumaru answered, obviously it was a breech in security of some kind; did he think of her as an idiot?

"…you aren't helping." Kagome said, now tired of the useless and one-sided conversation.

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"_BANG_"

Kagome's head sprang up from Sesshoumaru's chest. _Sesshoumaru's…chest?_ Somehow during the cold night they must have moved closer to one another. Well, at least it was a way to keep warm.

But that wasn't what startled Kagome; it was that rather loud noise that was coming from the end of the long hallway.

She poked Sesshoumaru, "Get up" but he didn't stir, "Sesshoumaru!" Kagome harshly whispered as she put a freezing cold metal container on his cheek.

"What?" he replied with his eyes were still closed

"Did you hear that?" Kagome asked as she rearranged the baggy sweatshirt she wore.

"Hear what?" he absently said

"There was a bang from the end of that hallway; it must have been loud if I heard it from here." Kagome softly said

Receiving Sesshoumaru's attention, "Do you know what it was?"

"Would I be asking you if I did?" she retorted

"If by any chance there is a threat in the building, this office is locked and we aren't visible from the hallway…we are safe in here for now, it's late so go back to sleep. Although I highly doubt anyone else is here." Sesshoumaru somewhat groggily told Kagome, trying to lessen her more than apparent worries.

Kagome said nothing, but held onto Sesshoumaru's arm like the Jaws of Life and tried to ease her way back to sleep, however it seemed to be a hard task to do.

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Kagome felt her slumbering form be carelessly tossed aside. "Ouch!" Kagome complained as she peered at Sesshoumaru getting up from the hard carpeted floor.

"Its morning." He simply stated

"Do you think it safe leaving the office?" Kagome asked, "I heard someone last night!"

"I highly doubt that, everyone who has enough since leaves during these alarms…only a fool would stay." Sesshoumaru replied as he poured some two day old coffee into a paper cup and gave her a look that was suggesting that he was referring to her as _the fool_.

Kagome eyed him dryly, "Well you didn't leave either, you hypocrite."

"I was incapable of hearing the alarms; you just ignored them like a _fool_." Sesshoumaru said in between sips of his lukewarm drink

"Oh yes, I almost forgot you were in a 'self-hypnotic trance' my apologies to you, the sociopath." Kagome mocked while waving her hands in the air

"Now what did I say about being nice?" Sesshoumaru condescendingly asked

"Hey where are go going?" Kagome yelled as he walked out of the door. Kagome quickly followed him, "Well?"

"I am going to investigate the cause of the 'noise' that you claimed to hear." Sesshoumaru replied, "I highly doubt that I will find anything though."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Kagome demanded defensively

They continued to walk down the cool hallway, which seemed to go on forever until they came to a room which caught their attention. It was like a pitter patter, very soft, you could only hear these noises if everything else was in complete silence

"I heard something!" Kagome whispered as she pointed to the adjacent closed door, "I heard something and I know you did too! Don't lie! It came from that room right there, the one I'm pointing at!"

Sesshoumaru was about to turn the handle when Kagome said, "What are you doing? What if there it is a terrorist or something in there? Shouldn't we arm ourselves with a weapon before we go blindly into a potentially dangerous room?"

Sesshoumaru turned to her a smirked, "Yes, let's go back and get the hat stand so that way when we encounter this terrorist we can 'hat stand' him to death."

Kagome was not amused, this wasn't a laughing matter! "No we can go bake him some cookies!"

Sesshoumaru let out a small, demure chuckle and then turned the small steel door knob to Kagome's horror. _Mice._

"What is this place?" Kagome asked as she saw several cages that contained mice and other large rodents which Kagome didn't want to become acquainted with anytime soon, but much preferred over a crazy person with a gun.

"It seems like one of the animal testing facility." Sesshoumaru answered as he eyed the room

"One of them?" Kagome's eyes scrunched together, "You mean we have more?"

"Yes, this particular room seems to focus on the rodent variety." He told her while he examined the mess on the floor. A dozen or so heavy, steel cages were carelessly left on the floor.

"Oh here, these cages fell over, and the stands that they were sitting on seem to be too flimsy for their weight. That must be what you heard."

Kagome was still unconvinced, but what other _logical_ conclusion could be drawn and then she realized, "So if these _many_ cages are _empty_ and mind you, _open _on the floor…does that mean…there are dozens of mice on the _loose_?"

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows and scratched his head, "I guess so."

Kagome stilled and her jaw dropped as she frantically ran out of the room, "Ahh! Let's go! Let's go!"

Rolling his eyes, Sesshoumaru followed and they continued to search for a way out.

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"Hey Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked while they took a break to eat, "In all seriousness, do you think someone is trying to attack this building?"

"I wouldn't be shocked," Sesshoumaru said while eating their pitiful excuse for a lunch, "We have many high priority projects going on in this facility, our enemies would love to get their hands on them or on the other hand the tiniest mistake by an employee can set off an alarm, although I have never witnessed one as severe as this one."

"I wonder what someone would be after?" Kagome rhetorically asked and then perked up, "…wait! I know!"

Sesshoumaru gave her a bland look then smirked, "Oh pray tell."

"You might be shocked…it's very confidential this is,…its…its…my ionizer." Kagome giggled. Trying to keep one's self amused under such circumstances was a difficult task to do, so she did the best she could.

Somewhat amused, he responded, "I'm surprised you can even assemble one."

"Well I do know and I also know that if I eat another pre-packaged, artificially created snack food I am going to throw up." Kagome moaned. Being under lockdown and wanting _real_ food didn't go hand in hand.

"Chip?" Sesshoumaru offered, "We should go to the security mainframe, it's past the chemistry lab, not too far away. We might find out what the problem is."

"Sounds like a plan." Kagome smiled, finally he was thinking of ways to help.

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"Good thing I didn't go into chemistry." Kagome softly commented as she looked at all the chemicals and tools in the lab, she'd probably poison herself, unintentionally of course. Kagome was very content with her position in the Technology Department, nice and safe behind her desk, "I don't know how Sango does it."

"Sango, she is in this department no?" Sesshoumaru questioned as he looked for door which would lead them in the direction of the security mainframe.

"You know her?" Kagome asked while she spun around in one of those rolling chairs.

"I have heard of her work." He told her, "She is alleged to be a brilliant chemist who made a major contribution in finding the proper chemical combination that subdues a mass amount of people…but If she is an acquaintance of yours then…"

"Yes, she is brilliant and yes she _is_ my friend." Kagome scolded, "This attitude of yours is becoming to be quite annoying."

He scoffed, "The pot calling the kettle black."

"Did you find anything yet?" she impatiently asked while she took out a scrap of paper and a pen that laid on a desk nearby and started to doodle.

"Yes, but the door is sealed."

"I could try to override the encryption if I had a laptop that I could connect the keypad module." Kagome said with hope in her eyes

"Here is a laptop." He handed it to her, "But they all require passwords, unless you can ask this person that this belongs to, we are back to square one."

"Whose is it?" Kagome asked

"S. Taka, that is all that I can find."

"Taka? That's Sango!" Kagome brightly said maybe their luck will start turning around

"You know her password?"

"No." Kagome frowned, "But I can call her. I forgot I have my phone, I can…"

"Wait. We have been in this building for almost two days and now you just mention you have a cell phone. A device in which we can contact _outside_ help…" he very slowly asked to punctuate ever word

"…Yes" Kagome timidly answered, "You know what? beggars can't be choosers! Just be glad I _have _a phone."

"Instead of talking about using this acclaimed phone, why don't you use it call someone...now, preferably"

"I am getting there. No need to rush _'your only aid in escaping this damn place'_" Kagome slyly replied, "Now all I have to do it call for help."

If only it could be that easy.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

_Next: Chapter Three- by Unique Love_


	3. Chapter 3

"**Lockdown"**

Chapter Three

_Chapter by: Unique Love_

_Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters_

**……………………………………………**

"Well... what's the hold up?" Sesshomaru asked.

After fifteen minutes of doing everything known to man or any other being, Kagome could not get her cell phone to work. _Why?_ A dead battery of course…

For a person that works with all types of computers and computer programs, Kagome should have known this would happen; but the thought never really crossed her mind.

Apparently the thought didn't cross Sesshomaru's mind either, but he decided not to say anything. It was quite funny to watch Kagome beg, pled, beat and even will her phone to turn on.

Finally, by some miracle of the heavens, Kagome's phone came to life. "Okay!" She shouted while doing a victory dance. "We're not doomed!"

"We will be if you don't hurry." Sesshomaru added with amusement shining through his eyes.

Suddenly the phone beeped several times and turned off once again.

Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat and Sesshomaru shook his head. "Come on. Let's head back, it's starting to get late and I have a better idea."

**……………………………………………**

"Here."

Kagome looked forlornly at the cereal bar and water that Sesshomaru just handed her. "Man… what I wouldn't do for a home cooked meal right now or some money so I could get some more of _this_ crummy stuff!" She wailed, pointing at the food before her. "Say, how much money do you have on you?"

Sesshomaru, who had been ignoring Kagome's incessant complaints for the past two hours, suddenly gave her his undivided attention. "Just _WHAT_ are you implying?" He replied; sounding serious for the first time in hours.

"Wh…" The implications of her earlier statement and all of the possibilities that it might have entailed made Kagome madly blush. "I…I… I'm not offering to be your _Crotch Jockey_!" She screamed, "The products in the vending machine cost a lot of money and I figured that you either broke into the machine or you have a lot of money on you _AND_ if you have a lot of money on you then I want to borrow some, you _PERVERT_!"

He smirked and then he laughed, "I see. I guess that I was right in assuming that you don't sensor anything that comes out of your mouth. Just the thought of you acting as anyone's _crotch jockey_, as you put it, is enough to entertain me for a lifetime." With that Sesshomaru disappeared down the hall one again only to return with a few more snacks. Kagome's performance earned her the food that she wanted, "Here, you better eat up."

He looked down at Kagome once again and an evil smile graced his features, "What's the saying, again? Ah…well... I can't have you acting _strange_ for some _change_, now can I? I might actually agree to the next offer…" He said slyly. Sesshomaru walked away chuckling.

Kagome opened her mouth to retort, but changed her mind. She got what she wanted and refused to be baited further. Now they need to figure out how to get out of here. "Wait!" Seeing that she had Sesshomaru's attention, Kagome continued. "We still need to talk about your _better idea_."

Sesshomaru sighed and walked back across the office to where Kagome sat. Earlier, he wanted to put space between them; to keep from throttling her but Kagome started to make it rather difficult. Not only that, but he had criticized earlier about having a phone and not using it. So how could he tell her that he has one as well, and that they will be going to get it in the morning? "We'll be going to my department in the morning." He said as he sat down bedside her.

"Really, and what's there to help us get out of here?"

"You'll see." Sesshomaru shrugged his shoulders. He didn't feel like getting yelled at, _yet_. Looking down at his watch and then at Kagome he announced bed time. "We better get some rest. A _delicate_ body such as yours will have a difficult time going trough the maze of offices and stairs." He derided.

"It's only the fourth floor…" Kagome scoffed. Nevertheless, she complied with Sesshomaru's wishes and stretched out on the hard carpet. Whoever designed their building needs to be shot. It's almost impossible to get to one floor without backtracking through another!

"Indeed… now rest." Sesshoumaru followed Kagome's example, but he felt a little uneasy. Something told him that tonight would be different from the last.

**……………………………………………**

Kagome awoke some time during the night the find herself covered with Sesshomaru's body again. She sighed; she liked the warmth that his body provided her with, but he is invading too much of her personal space! So at who-knows-what in the morning, Kagome decided to tell him so, only she found this task rather difficult. Sesshomaru's hand suddenly covered her mouth preventing her from saying anything.

Following her companion's line of sight, Kagome saw shadows moving in the dark… and they were moving toward them! In an instant, Sesshomaru flew into action; cracking ribs and busting sculls. Kagome didn't even realize that they were running until she ran into the back of Sesshomaru.

**……………………………………………**

_The woman's blood pressure must be low_, Sesshomaru thought as he looked down at a shivering Kagome. Again, for the second night in a row, he gave her the warmth of his body heat. Secretly, though, he didn't mind. In any case, tonight, Sesshomaru decided to forgo sleep in order to keep watch instead. That turned out to advantageous to their cause in the end.

Around three in the morning, he heard a loud banging noise about two offices over. Normally this would not have alarmed Sesshomaru, but there were voices amongst the commotion. Shifting Kagome under him slightly, he feigned sleep. They needed the element of surprise in order to get out of this.

Twelve minutes, seven seconds later, Kagome woke up. She seems dazed but stayed in the position that he put her in. Still, the stubborn woman could only last so long. As the intruders drew closer, Kagome looked as if she were about to speak. Sesshomaru quickly placed a hand over her mouth and continued to discretely watch his prey. While they were preoccupied searching the desks, he sprang to life and dispatched all three.

Sesshomaru quickly returned to a stunned Kagome and grabbed her by the hand, "We need to leave…" But he stopped in front of the desk with her name on it first.

He had noticed one of the intruders looking through it while he faked sleep. "You said that the _terrorist_ might want your ionizer, correct?" Kagome nodded and he continued, "But it was lost with the power shortage yesterday, right?" She nodded once again, "Then do you have a backup or notes?"

A very confused Kagome nodded and place a hand over her chest. She's still not able to use her voice yet.

Not bothering to ask what she meant, Sesshomaru took Kagome's shirt and popped the first few buttons. Laying the valley of her breast, supported by a chain, lay a junk drive. Without further adieu, he grabbed her by the hand and took off towards the stairs once again.

They didn't come to a stop again, until they made it to the emergency stairs.

**……………………………………………**

Kagome knocked herself out her stupor by running right into Sesshomaru's back, "What in the hell is going on! Where are we going?" She demanded.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Kagome but otherwise ignored her. Instead he jiggled the handle to the door and found it to be locked. _Damn_. "We are going to get _my_ phone from my department." He moved to Kagome to the side and prepared to break the door down.

"You have a phone!"

"Yes…" He panted, "After we rest, we will make our way back up to the chemistry department and then to the security mainframe."

Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome through the broken metal and started down the stairs, "This is serious. I don't know what those people were after, but they were searching through your desk. From this point on, you will need to do exactly what I tell you to do."

**……………………………………………**

Considering the fact that they had to go through a maze of offices and many flights of stairs, Sesshomaru and Kagome reached the Black Science Department rather quickly.

Sesshomaru reached for the security pad, but turned back to look at Kagome before entering his code, "Under no circumstance are you to scream. Understand?"

"_And_ why not? I may need to let out some frustration about the past few hours or you just might try and scare the hell out of me?" Kagome retorted.

"I warned you." Sesshomaru smirked; knowing full well that Kagome is going to let out one hell of a scream as soon as she sees what's on the desk at the front.

"Humph… let's just get this over with. The thought of people trying to kill me is more frightening than anything in your department."

"Fine." Sesshomaru entered the code and walked in. Just as expected, Kagome let out a howl of a scream as soon as the door slammed shut. _Why_… the brain hooked up to the computer at the front desk decided to say _hello_.

"What is _THAT_!" Kagome asked while franticly trying to collect herself.

Sesshomaru looked rather amused. He walked over to the computer and turned it off. The brain the jar suddenly looked …what… lifeless? "One does not always need a _whole body_ to get the information that one is after, Kagome."

"You mean you guys use _body parts_?" Kagome asked hesitantly. Her fatigue along with the weight of this information is making her dizzy.

"No, just the brains…" Sesshomaru noticed Kagome wobbling and caught her just before she hit the ground. Good thing too… someone dropped a tack!

**……………………………………………**

Sango sat on her couch beside herself with worry; she hasn't talked to Kagome since the lockdown began. To make matter worse, her superiors told her that nothing could be done.

As soon as Sango decided that Kagome would _NEVER_ get out on her own. She went to the higher-up's and told them the situation. They, in turn, told her not to worry. That they have a _MAN _on the inside who will _FIX_ all of the slip-up's and take care of the security breach. They also insisted that he would find Kagome as well.

Sango could only sit back and hope that things worked out for the best. So far there has been no word about the problem. No one is even sure if there are terrorist!

Deciding not to think on it further, Sango went to bed; leaving her phone incase Kagome decided to call during the night.

**……………………………………………**

Knowing that they were safe for the time being, Sesshomaru let his eyes shut. Now that there has been an attack, he needs to figure out the who, why, and how.

When morning came, Kagome still felt tired and her head is pounding like someone kicked her.

"Good morning. Do you want to call your friend now, or do you want to try later?"

"….."

"We have food down here so, if you want to try later, that won't be an issue for now." Sesshomaru said as he stepped closer to a groggy Kagome, "Do you even feel well?"

"No, not really, I'm still tired." Kagome replied. Then she remembered to ask a question that had been eating at her since last night… well the part she stayed awake for. "Why is there still power in here? I… mean… it doesn't look like you guys had the same power outage as everyone else did."

Sesshoumaru put his hand to Kagome's forehead and pulled it back. _A fever_, just as he suspected. _She won't be going anywhere for at least a few hours, a day at the most._ "You're right. Like the Chemistry and Biology Departments, the Black Science Department has a generator or an alternate power source other than the main building. People sometimes have to say here for days at a time and the _work_ that we do, is sometimes considered living. So power is needed at all times."

"…oh…" Kagome shut her tired eyes, "Where are we now?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" Sesshomaru covered Kagome up with a spare blanket, "Just rest and I'll find us something to eat and you some medicine."

**……………………………………………**

Day soon gave way to evening and Sesshoumaru became restless. The inactivity of the whole situation is doing him no favors. Kagome had yet to rise and that, as odd as it may seem, made him uneasy. So he did what any man would do.

Sesshoumaru shook Kagome like crazy. "Get up. I am aware that you have diarrhea at the mouth, but I had no idea that you are lazy as well." He taunted.

"Fuck off…" Kagome slapped his hands away and then caught her mistake… "..er… I.. uhh… Shut up… I mean don't do that! There is a way to wake someone up and that's not it!" She yelled.

"Hn… lacking in manners too, Kagome? You must live alone." Sesshomaru commented.

"And I take it that you don't? That you have wonderful manners all of the time!" Kagome countered hotly.

"No, I live alone. I'm just as single as you are. _Sociopaths_, like me, don't date often." Sesshomaru joked, "Tell me, why are you single, Kagome. You look good enough… aside from your mouth and _good_ humor, there shouldn't be much of a problem?"

Kagome looked utterly scandalized. How dare he try to figure out her social life! Even if she is just beginning to get one! "That… is… none… of… you're… business!" After a moment she managed to clam down and a pretty blush covering her face, "Some things are just private. My humor is just fine and I don't talk _too_ much. I'm just inquisitive by nature! Plus I don't see you volunteering any information about yourself to me." Kagome said in defense while pointing an accusatory finger at Sesshomaru.

"I have told you plenty about me, but just so you know… I like women that can amuse me as well as arouse me." Sesshomaru said with a knowing smile, "Well… enough about ourselves." He said, completely ignoring the confused look on Kagome's face. "Since someone attacked this building last night and now our situation has changed. We need to concentrate on getting out of here alive. So you will need to answer a few questions and then call your friend."

"Questions like what?"

Sesshomaru placed his left hand on Kagome's bare chest and grabbed the chain that held the junk drive, "Like, why you carry such important information on your person and not in your desk."

Kagome turned about ten shades of red. She fixed her mouth to yell at Sesshomaru about touching her but he cut her off.

"Like, why, of all of the inventions in this building, would the terrorists be after _your_ ionizer." Sesshomaru continued asking as his hand continued to the tops of her breast and traced the outline of the black junk drive.

Gathering her wits, Kagome attempted to remove Sesshomaru's hand, "Do you mind?"

"No, I don't." Sesshomaru stopped tracing the object, but held it firmly in his hand, much to Kagome's chagrin, "Hn…I think the most important question of all, is who? Who would want such a product and who would have the means to get into this heavily guarded building."

**……………………………………………**

_Next: Chapter Four- by Kags21_


	4. Chapter 4

"**Lockdown"**

Chapter One

_Chapter by Kags21_

_Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters._

I.I.I.I

The three men that Sesshoumaru had knocked out earlier were now coming too. "What happened?" The tallest of the three asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I don't know Hiten. Someone or something must've knocked us out." The other man said as he leaned against the desk, "We have to find that girl, Kagome."

"And how do you propose we do that Hiten?" the man questioned as he took his ski mask off to reveal his face, which showed his short brown hair and green eyes, then he walked behind the desk.

Hiten looked around the office and then at his two fellow comrades. "Do we really need Kagome, Hojo?" Hiten asked him.

"The boss said that he wanted her as well, says she's the only one that knows how to work it." Hojo told them.

The third man Hiroshi finally spoke. "Well we're not going to find her or the ionizer by just standing around." Hiroshi told them both.

"You're right." Hojo said.

The three men left the current office and went into the halls to begin looking for any traces of life in the building.

"Well one thing I know is that the ionizer wasn't in there." Hojo told them.

Hiten took his cell phone out his pant pocket and turned it on. He dialed an all too familiar number.

"Yeah tell him it's me." Hiten said.

"Hello sir, no we weren't able to find it or her for that matter, she must have evacuated with the rest of them." He told his boss.

"Yes sir, we'll keep looking." Hiten said and ended the call.

"Ok, let's spilt up, Hojo you take this floor, Hiroshi you take the fifth and I'll go to the remaining floors." Hiten told them and with that the three spilt up.

I.I.I.I

Kagome sat on the desk that Sesshoumaru was currently looking through.

"I wish I could take a bath." She said.

"I do too. Your scent is beginning to burn my nose."

"You don't smell like roses yourself." She hissed.

Sesshoumaru didn't retort, but when Kagome turned her head away, he sniffed his self. This wasn't him; he had never gone a day without a bath or shower.

Kagome was hungry and smelly, wasn't anyone going to come to the building and check inside to see if anyone was still inside?

Kagome was becoming bored so who better to bother and have fun with at the same time than Sesshomaru.

"So Sess, can I call you that?" she asked him.

"Not if you want me to answer." He replied

Kagome folded her arms over her chest like a spoiled child. "Awww your no fun, come on, let me call you Sess. Your name is too long for me to keep saying. If you like, you can call me Kags for short." She said as she hopped off the desk and walked around the room.

Sesshoumaru looked at his watch it was still early. "What do you want Kagome?" he asked between clenched teeth.

But Kagome was no longer paying attention to him; she was looking through some of the other specimens that were in the room. She hadn't seen these many jars with body parts since she graduated from school.

"Kagome" He called.

Kagome finally looked at him. "What is it Sess?" she asked him.

He sighed, but he might as well be nice to her she was the only company he had besides those three men that had somehow gotten in the building.

"I'll make a deal with you with you stop calling me Sess and I'll be nicer and tell you about myself and you can do the same, though I doubt there's much more you could add about your life."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Fine Sesshomaru." She agreed and walked over to him.

"Ok spill tell me about you." She said taking a seat in one of the chairs and placed one hand under her chin.

Sesshomaru rubbed his golden eyes. "Ok well first. I have a younger brother, Inuyasha." He said.

"And what does he do for a living?" Kagome asked.

"Not much my father and mother spoil him." He told her.

Sesshomaru was spoiled to and certain extent but Inuyasha was beyond spoiled.

He was 22 years old and still didn't have a job. Sesshoumaru often thought that the reason Inuyasha was the way he was is because their parents had had him late in life and they weren't that young anymore.

"I went to one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, where I received my masters in Science, as well, as in Philosophy." He told her

"You're quite smart so why work here instead of finding a cure for all the diseases in the world?" Kagome asked him.

Sesshoumaru shrugged, "I don't know just didn't appeal to me besides I like this job much better."

"And why is that?" she questioned him.

"Look around you how many people can say that they get to pick people's brains for a living." He said as he stretched out his long legs in front of him.

There was silence between the two. "So, Kagome now that you know a little bit about my life why not tell me about your life. What do you do when you're not working?" he asked.

"My life hmm, my romantic life sucks. He probably thinks I stood him up too, my younger brother has a better social life than me." She whined.

Sesshoumaru laughed to himself, his social life wasn't much better his last real date which had been more than two months ago.

"Did you always _want _to work in a place like this?" he asked her.

"Actually I had at one point thought about being a doctor." She said.

"Really and what type did you want to be?" Sesshoumaru asked her.

"A pediatrician actually, but after I saw how many hours I would have to work, I decided against it and went into this profession instead, although no one mentioned terrorists."

I.I.I.I

Hiten walked around the sixth floor looking in different offices for any sign of life. The place was deserted but then how did he, Hojo and Hiroshi been knocked unconscious.

He walked into a room where he saw a door half opened. He kicked the door open, taking out his gun.

He looked around the office, no. One was there.

He put his gun back in his pants pocket, and left the room.

Hojo walked into Kagome's office, this was her desk but where was the ionizer? He wondered.

There was a picture on the desk of two girls with black long hair. One had blue eyes, while the other had hazel eyes and the two were at some type of party, he surmised from the way they were dressed.

Hojo walked around to the desk and looked through the drawers, nothing in there but some old candy and a few pens and paper clips.

"This is hopeless, how are we suppose to take the thing when it's not even here, she most likely got out the building and took the damn, thing with her!" he said aloud.

Maybe Hiroshi was doing much better than I am." He said. He sure hoped so or their boss would make them pay, However, Hiroshi wasn't having much luck either as he went from office to office.

I.I.I.I

Kagome walked over to the window and looked out it. "What time is it?" She asked him.

Sesshoumaru looked at his watch, "noon" he said and went back to reading a book he had found.

"Hey Sesshomaru do you think those men you knocked out, do you think there's more of them?" she asked him as she watched a bird fly by the window.

"It's a possibility, but they won't be able to get in this room unless they know the password." He assured her.

"I hope so." She said.

"Hey if those guys were able to get in here, doesn't, that mean there is a way out of here?" She said walking over to Sesshoumaru who was now ignoring her. Kagome grabbed the book out his hand and placed it on the desk.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you think you're doing?" he growled.

"Did you hear what I said?" she asked placing her hand on her hip.

"I heard you and even if there is a way out that would mean we would have to confront those three and though the idea is appealing I don't want to risk your life. So just stay calm and wait. Someone will come for us eventually and if not those three will leave soon. Now can I have the book back?" he asked her.

Kagome gave him the book back, then she sat down next to him and laid her head down on the desk since there was nothing to really do Kagome decided to take a small nap.

Sesshoumaru watched her and now that she was sleep, he looked at her feature. She had long black hair, blue eyes, a small cute nose and small lips. She was pretty, if only she didn't have to talk all the time.

But there was a more important problem; how did those men get in the building? Wasn't everything locked? And if it was, were they already inside the building when everyone began to leave the building?'

If that was the case, he was going to have to protect Kagome and her ionizer.

I.I.I.I

_Review_

_Next: Chapter Five-By Kuma Tashio_


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